Abel to Yzerman

No, what I hate about the Red Wings are the “fans” that make everything that I just highlighted completely unbearable. The self-entitled, so far up their own team’s recent success that they can’t recall a time when the Red Wings were not a good team…at all. Most of these folks aren’t populating Winging it in Motown. Rather they are populating the comment threads at Puck Daddy and every other general hockey website; they are filling in the seats at Jobing.com Arena in their Niklas Kronwall jerseys with the tags still on and trying to throw an octopus (or more likely a squid because who can even tell the difference) onto the ice of the Coyotes barn. They’ve never stepped foot in Detroit, know nothing about even Steve Yzerman, but are “passionate” about their team…yeah, that’s why I frickin’ hate the Red Wings.

And you know when he really hates us don’t you? Of course you do. On nights like tonite. Don’t be sad little guppy. Fans of 29 other teams hate us just like you do, and for the same reasons. Same reason they hate us in Nashville and St. Louis and Chicago. Same as Toronto and Anaheim, even San Jose where the Cups won’t go. Those fans hate us because our organ-I-zation is the best on earth and has been for more than twenty years. Yours is a punchline. Suck it.

You can’t be too mad Master Chief, afterall the dude only has at most a season and a half left to bitch about the Wings owning his Desert Dogs. He’s gotta get his jabs in now.

I love the hate, because we all know when you strip away the “Detroit’s a dump” insults, the jabs about being too soft, Euro and so on, the real reason for the hate, is because we… sorry the Detroit Red Wings, are just plain better than them. And it eats away at them, knowing we’re never going away, because we’re just too damn good.

LET’S GO RED WINGS (exclamation point)

Posted by
Alzy
from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada on 01/13/12 at 09:51 AM ET

I cannot imagine that ANY Wings fan knows nothing about The Captain.

But I have to feel a bit sorry for this Yotes fan.The only real opportunity he has been given this season is practice in discarding Yotes merchandise, after Shane Doan’s hat trick a few nights back.

And yeah, I stole that thought from “Down Goes Brown”, but I thought it was funny enough to repeat.

Man…I just never learn… This’ll probably be deleted over there pretty soon.

Wow. Every team has those bandwagon “WOOO YOUR TEAM SUCKS” fans. Yes….there are even Yotes fans who troll the Wings blogs during game spouting “RED WINGS SUCK”. From a Yotes fan. Truly humorous. Most times we just pat him on his head and send him on his way. It never has been socialy acceptable to pick on a kid while he’s licking the windows.

they are filling in the seats at Jobing.com Arena
Isn’t this something you should be grateful for? Or would you prefer they be empty like usual?

Rather they are populating the comment threads at Puck Daddy and every other general hockey website
Tsk tsk tsk…boy are the 19 ever going to fee left out. How DARE you forget the most mature group of Wings fans you ever did see over at Able to Yzerman.

And for the record…Peter Gabriel *#$%@& ROCKS!

Don’t Panic!

Posted by
42jeff
from The greater Howard City, MI metroplex on 01/13/12 at 11:35 AM ET

Sadly, if it weren’t for Wings fans (and other NHL team fans), Phoenix would not have had a team for the last 2-4 seasons. When I buy licensed NHL merchandise, it helps keep your empty arena open. Keep on biting the hand that feeds.

“Sadly, if it weren’t for Wings fans (and other NHL team fans), Phoenix would not have had a team for the last 2-4 seasons”
I still contend that if it weren’t for the influx (yep) of transplants (yep, again) that the Nashville Predators would have never existed at all.

Posted by
Chris in Hockey Hell
from Ann Arbor, MI but LIVING in Columbia, TN on 01/13/12 at 12:24 PM ET

As a Wings fan, a Native Detroiter, and a former Phoenix resident for 13 years, I can say without a doubt, that the Yotes would not even exist if not for the transplanted fans of any hockey club. I was at every game that the Wings played there with my family, and, friends that soon became Wings fans on their own.

But Detroit is a special gem in the crown of franchises that have no true fan base. The fans that constantly help to fill the Jobbing.com arena are the sons and daughters of people like myself that do know their history.

My kids are very lucky to have parents that have schooled and drilled into them the fine tradition of Octopi throwing, or a Gordie Howe hat trick, as well as what the #19 means to all Wings fans of any generation.

#19 was drafted the same year my youngest son was born. So, to say these fans have no knowledge of the Wings, or the game, is just plain stupid.

I can say with all honesty, that my family has 4 generations of knowledgeable Wings fans.
So, the Whiners and Haters can SUCK IT.

All this Coyotes writer needs to do to learn what a real bandwagon fan is is to go to Jobing.com Arena during a rare playoff game. Suddenly it’s full! What bandwagon fans do not do is go out of their way to attend a game to cheer on a team from out of town. For several years, I would drag my ass 100 miles roundtrip to get to the 2 games Detroit played in town. The arena is so far out west that for most fans in the valley, just getting there graduates you from bandwagons status by default.

Also, pretty much every major sports team in Arizona has nothing but bandwagon fans. It’s mostly because everyone here is from someplace else, and the teams are mostly too new to have gained any real, ingrained following. To get a real solid foundation of die hard fans takes a couple of generations of fans, at least. Which is why the Suns are really the only team that has any passionate fans in town. The Cardinals, Dbacks and Coyotes have all been in town for less than 25 years, which is only slightly longer than Detroit has been dominating the NHL. During that time, all four major sports teams in Phx have brought home 1 championship combined, while the Red Wings have brought home 4. This guy can’t even concieve of what it’s like to be a true fan of a truly great team. Not many people can. Viva la Red Wings!

Makes me debate about invading Phoenix next week with my 98 Finals Ozzie sweater. Just to rub the salt in the wound.

Posted by creasemonkey from Murph’s flask on 01/13/12 at 01:42 AM ET

Well, I’d do it if you can swing it at all. The Yotes may soon disappear all together, and if realignment goes off as planned the Wings will only be out to SoCal once a year, not twice. Opportunities to see the glorious Wings in person for you may disappear quickly.

Besides, in PHX you’ll be surrounded by about 5,000 of your closest friends all wearing the same colors.

Posted by
RWBill
from swimming in the ocean with narwhals. on 01/13/12 at 01:09 PM ET

Mandingo’s photo is one for the ages.

Posted by
RWBill
from swimming in the ocean with narwhals. on 01/13/12 at 01:11 PM ET

Actually, both of Mandingo’s photos…

Posted by
RWBill
from swimming in the ocean with narwhals. on 01/13/12 at 01:12 PM ET

Thinking about it, this hurtful comment is also particularly amusing because at the HandJobing Arena last March when my daughter and I saw the game, most of the memorabilia for sale in the hallways was Red Wings material… Dozens of autographed pictures in expensive frames, both individual and team, etc.. Very little was of any Coyote piece, due I suppose to the lack of anything to treasure in their history.

After they were eliminated last spring, correction, swept, by the Wings they held a public demostration of support to keep Bettman’s franchise there. About 25 people showed up. Hell, if I lived anywhere near Glendale I would have shown up to keep the Yotes there just so I could see the Wings in person twice a year.

Truly the large number of Wings fans there was impressive.

Posted by
RWBill
from swimming in the ocean with narwhals. on 01/13/12 at 01:23 PM ET

Haha…I’m still banned from FFH from the 2010 playoff series. Apparently I’m allowed to browse but not participate.

And for the record, I drive over 600 miles twice a year to see the boys take the ice. Tuesday will be one of such trips. My second this month as a matter of fact. Last one was a blast, I left my voice for good measure.

About Abel to Yzerman

Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977. No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y. Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation. There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature. Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome: wphoulihan@gmail.com